Adagio Teas Wuyi Ensemble Oolong Tea Review

A Complex Flavor with a Hint of Nuts

Summary : I truthfully had no idea what to expect from this tea, as the rather obtuse name for the tea provides no hint. In the end, I was left with the impression that this tea is good, but nothing special.

Review : This tea is as complex as it's name. Relatively expensive and rare, this tea was rather mystifying to me due to it's rather odd name. Quite simply, I had no idea what to expect from this tea. And so, I approached this tea with an open mind.

Here is the description of this tea as provided by Adagio Teas : "This tea is famous for its "dragonfly's head, frog's limbs and three colors." The latter refers to the green, red and brown colors found in the cross-section of each leaf. Similar to other fine oolong teas, our "Wuyi Ensemble" may be infused a number of times, with each infusion revealing a new nuance of this tea's complex flavor."

The person who tries this tea can't but help but be impressed by the size of the leaves of this tea. Adagio Teas tends to use high-quality tea leaves, and this tea is no excpetion. Quite simply...the leaves in this tea are huge. You'll need to scoop out WAY more than 1 teaspoon of leaves for a cup here, due to the massive size of the leaves (which makes measuring difficult).

Still, while I was impressed with the size of the tea leaves, admittedly, the fragrance was disappointing...probably because the tea had very little! I like tea that pack a olfactory punch...and this tea didn't do that. Bummer. Oh well, no law says a tea has to have an overpowering smell, so off I went to brew the tea.

Once brewed, this tea has a pleasant light-tan color to it. It is quite pretty to look at. However, I was somewhat disappointed with the taste. Truthfully, I'm not sure why...I just was. The tea had a very complex flavor to it, no doubt about that. And in the teas after-taste, you'll definitely notice a hint of nuts...a very weak hint, admittedly.

Additionally, this tea was quite smooth. There was no bitterness. No lip-puckering moments.

Yet...I found nothing "distinctive" about the taste of this tea. Nothing that would make me sit up and remember this tea among the 100's of other varieites I've tried and currently own. And I guess, in the end, that is what I found disappointing...I like teas that say "remember me!" And this one just didn't cut the mustard in that regard.

Recommendation : Maybe. This is a high-quality tea, make no mistake about it. The flavor is smooth, with no bitterness. Yet, the flavor is, well, forgettable. I suspect if you like traditional oolong teas you'll enjoy this tea quite a bit. But if you are seeking a "powerful flavor", you may wish to skip over this tea and try another one.

Featured Oolong Tea Formosa Oolong Tea : An excellent amber oolong from the island of Taiwan (Formosa). Price : $6 for 1/4 lb of tea Available from Dragonwater Tea Company

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